For the past three years, members of the York University community have enjoyed full access to the LinkedIn Learning platform (and its predecessor Lynda.com) through a license held by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. The license is administered by eCampusOntario.
Following failed negotiations between the ministry and LinkedIn Learning, the current license with eCampusOntario will expire on Sept. 21. To ensure continuity of service, York University is pursuing an independent contract to maintain LinkedIn Learning access for students, faculty and staff.
While the transition to a new contract is underway, the University is making every effort to avoid interruptions to access for existing users of LinkedIn Learning. The University will provide updates to community on new developments.
Ran Lewin appointed Assistant Vice-President Budgets and Asset Management
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The following is a message to the University community from York Vice-President Finance and Administration Carol McAulay:
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ran Lewin to the newly created position of Assistant Vice-President Budgets and Asset Management. Ran will assume his new role on Sept. 21.
Ran Lewin
In 2003, Ran joined York University’s Internal Audit department as a Senior Auditor. In 2012 he was promoted to Director, Internal Audit where he served as the University’s chief audit executive. He led a dedicated team that supported the Board of Governors and the University Executive in the performance of their governance responsibilities. He has spearheaded auditing and Enterprise Risk Management initiatives using a collaborative approach to advance and support the University’s strategic priorities. In 2019, Ran was appointed to the position of Director of Budgets and Planning where he was responsible for the planning and co-ordination of the University’s operating and ancillary budgets.
A financial operations leader with expertise in higher education, Ran has demonstrated dedication, commitment, and passion, consistently adding value in every role he has held at York. In July of this year, Ran stepped up to the challenge and took the helm as Interim Assistant-Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, following the retirement of Aldo DiMarcantonio.
In his role as Assistant Vice-President Budgets and Asset Management Ran will be responsible for providing leadership and direction in the areas of budget and asset management to the Vice President Finance & Administration, Provost, University Executives as well as to the Board of Governors and other Board Committees. This will include the maintenance, management, and enhancement of the University’s SHARP budget model, development, and implementation of an asset management system, as well as working to advance York’s vision for service excellence.
Ran holds designations for both Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant (CA and CPA) in Canada and South Africa. He also has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Johannesburg.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ran for his stellar work over the past two months as the Interim AVP Finance and CFO and I look forward to working with him in his new role. Please join me in congratulating Ran.
Terry Shields joins York University in the role of Assistant Vice-President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
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The following is a message to the University community from York Vice-President Finance and Administration Carol McAulay:
Please join me in congratulating Terry Shields, who has accepted the position of Assistant Vice-President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, taking over from Interim AVP Finance & CFO Ran Lewin, effective Sept. 21.
Terry Shields
As a senior member of the leadership team in the Division of Finance and Administration, Terry will work together with University Executives and the Board of Governors to provide leadership and direction of the Finance portfolio, as well as work to advance York’s vision for service excellence.
Terry joins us from Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare where he has been Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services & Risk, overseeing finance and accounting, treasury, risk management, information technology, capital planning, procurement, and corporate services.
Over the last eight months Terry has played an integral role in planning and managing the COVID-19 pandemic response for Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare. As Incident Manager, he oversaw business continuity planning, infection prevention & control, occupational health & safety, logistics, establishing assessment centres, operations planning and communications.
Prior to joining Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, Terry served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Erie Shores Healthcare, a Health Service Provider in Southwestern Ontario. In addition to his extensive leadership and financial expertise in healthcare, Terry has a consistent track record for delivering service excellence as a skilled customer service professional in senior positions with Anderson Merchandisers based in Richmond Hill and Allied Domecq Canada Ltd., based in Windsor. He has held board positions with the Hospice of Windsor-Essex County Inc., and Transform, a shared service organization serving hospitals.
In addition to his Chartered Professional Accountants designation (CPA-CGA), Terry holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Windsor.
Please join me in welcoming Terry to the York University family.
Reminder: Moodle is now eClass, the name was changed Sept. 1
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online learning
Moodle, York University’s online learning management system used by faculty and students has a new name. On Sept. 1, Moodle was renamed eClass, which better represents the purpose of York’s learning management system.
“The new name more accurately represents the function,” says York University’s Chief Information Officer Donald Ipperciel, noting that Moodle is the brand name for a tool that can be used for different functions,” while eClass more appropriately speaks to the purpose of the online learning system as it is being used in this case.
The new name will apply to the learning management systems in use at both Keele and Glendon and went into effect on Sept. 1.
“It is important for the community to know that the actual application is not changing as part of this renaming,” stresses Ipperciel, noting that faculty, staff and students are already familiar with the environment and do not have to transfer lessons, assignments or any information to a “new” system. The enhancements to the learning management system that are being rolled out along with the new name are intuitive, says Ipperciel, and do not require additional or special training, however, a series of eClass workshops are being planned for faculty who want to learn more about new features. Faculty who have questions, comments or suggestions for enhancements are encouraged to email lts@yorku.ca, says Ipperciel.
eClass is a more robust system, says Ipperciel. “We have used state of the art technologies – the same kind used by Netflix and Apple – to increase the performance and resiliency,” he says. eClass now sits on high-performance virtual servers and the servers are clustered to ensure a continuity of service if a server goes down, which will help reduce the likelihood of troubling “Moodle outages.” In addition, all web services and applications contained in eClass will be seamlessly updated and will represent the current “ready” state.
“We’ve added lots of new goodies, new modules and eClass gives us the opportunity to add more features,” adds Ipperciel. “It really represents a new beginning and offers a more integrated approach to online learning. York University is now at the ‘top of the pack’ when it comes to remote and online learning.”
The new eClass features and enhancements include:
New course formats more in line with modern instructional design. For instance, instructors can select the Menu-Tab course format that uses a grid layout for sections and topics and tabbed content within the section or topics, providing a more intuitive experience for students.
For science courses, new tools include the Virtual Programming Lab (a feature allowing for live coding exercises in eClass in conjunction with a Jail server), algebra and formula type questions, and a MATLAB grader.
Improved visuals through a full HTML 5 (H5P) integration package: The availability of a full H5P package allows instructors to create content such as interactive videos, quizzes and presentations. They can also recreate, edit, and reuse from a content bank. H5P is also integrated with the gradebook and supports activity completion. This provides users with better graphics and a better interface.
More formatting options, such as font colours, preventing auto-link and creating embedded answers (in the new editor).
More student-centered features, such as the new “Group Choice” feature allows students to select a group they want to join.
New course administration tools for instructors and Faculties, e.g. a demo student block (logs you in as a student to allow you to see the course and do activities exactly as a student), category management for Faculties, etc.
New integrations with third-party publishers, e.g. McGraw-Hill and Perusall.
A new and improved survey tool.
A new version of the Zoom plugin that considers a greater range of user profiles.
New question types (e.g. word select, pattern match, and more).
New Learning Analytics feature, which can be enabled by instructors.
Improved course navigation, e.g. a new “go to the top” functionality (instead of scrolling back up, a new “up” arrow at the bottom right corner will send user to the top of the page), new activity selector (activities and resources are now separated in tabs, making it easier to locate), new “favorite” activities (instructors can select their favorite activities and resources using a “star” icon for quick access), enhanced filtering (which allows users to search for and filter participants).
More information about upgrades, user experience stories and courses will be forthcoming in upcoming issues of YFile.
Faculty who have questions, suggestions or comments are encouraged to send them to lts@yorku.ca.
Moodle is getting a new name and becomes eClass on Sept. 1
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online learning
Moodle, York University’s online learning management system used by faculty and students, is getting a new name. On Sept. 1, Moodle will become eClass, a name that better represents the purpose of York’s learning management system.
Donald Ipperciel
“The new name more accurately represents the function,” says York University’s Chief Information Officer Donald Ipperciel, noting that Moodle is the brand name for a tool that can be used for different functions,” while eClass more appropriately speaks to the purpose of the online learning system as it is being used in this case.
The new name will apply to the learning management systems in use at both Keele and Glendon and will go into place on Sept. 1. In fact, Glendon’s original Moodle was called eClass until May 2020, when Glendon moved to York University’s central server, so the “new name” says Ipperciel will be familiar to Glendon faculty and students.
“It is important for the community to know that the actual application is not changing as part of this renaming,” stresses Ipperciel, noting that faculty, staff and students are already familiar with the environment and do not have to transfer lessons, assignments or any information to a “new” system. The enhancements to the learning management system that are being rolled out along with the new name are intuitive, says Ipperciel, and do not require additional or special training, however, a series of eClass workshops are being planned for faculty who want to learn more about new features. Faculty who have questions, comments or suggestions for enhancements are encouraged to email lts@yorku.ca, says Ipperciel.
The new eClass will also be a more robust system, says Ipperciel. “We have used state of the art technologies – the same kind used by Netflix and Apple – to increase the performance and resiliency,” he says. eClass now sits on high-performance virtual servers and the servers are clustered to ensure a continuity of service if a server goes down, which will help reduce the likelihood of troubling “Moodle outages.” In addition, all web services and applications contained in eClass will be seamlessly updated and will represent the current “ready” state.
“We’ve added lots of new goodies, new modules and eClass gives us the opportunity to add more features,” adds Ipperciel. “It really represents a new beginning and offers a more integrated approach to online learning. York University is now at the ‘top of the pack’ when it comes to remote and online learning.”
The new eClass features and enhancements include:
New course formats more in line with modern instructional design. For instance, instructors can select the Menu-Tab course format that uses a grid layout for sections and topics and tabbed content within the section or topics, providing a more intuitive experience for students.
For science courses, new tools include the Virtual Programming Lab (a feature allowing for live coding exercises in eClass in conjunction with a Jail server), algebra and formula type questions, and a MATLAB grader.
Improved visuals through a full HTML 5 (H5P) integration package: The availability of a full H5P package allows instructors to create content such as interactive videos, quizzes and presentations. They can also recreate, edit, and reuse from a content bank. H5P is also integrated with the gradebook and supports activity completion. This provides users with better graphics and a better interface.
More formatting options, such as font colours, preventing auto-link and creating embedded answers (in the new editor).
More student-centered features, such as the new “Group Choice” feature allows students to select a group they want to join.
New course administration tools for instructors and Faculties, e.g. a demo student block (logs you in as a student to allow you to see the course and do activities exactly as a student), category management for Faculties, etc.
New integrations with third-party publishers, e.g. McGraw-Hill and Perusall.
A new and improved survey tool.
A new version of the Zoom plugin that considers a greater range of user profiles.
New question types (e.g. word select, pattern match, and more).
New Learning Analytics feature, which can be enabled by instructors.
Improved course navigation, e.g. a new “go to the top” functionality (instead of scrolling back up, a new “up” arrow at the bottom right corner will send user to the top of the page), new activity selector (activities and resources are now separated in tabs, making it easier to locate), new “favorite” activities (instructors can select their favorite activities and resources using a “star” icon for quick access), enhanced filtering (which allows users to search for and filter participants).
Later this year, more new features will be added to eClass including an import tool from the Moodle archives and an enhanced navigation ribbon for an even better user experience.
More information about upgrades, user experience stories and courses will be forthcoming in upcoming issues of YFile.
Faculty who have questions, suggestions or comments are encouraged to send them to lts@yorku.ca.
York University named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers eight years in a row
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York University has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2020, an honour it has achieved eight consecutive times for initiatives such as sourcing sustainable food options.
More than 30 per cent of the food York purchases is local, sustainable-certified, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance-certified. In addition, it has its own 2,000-square-foot community garden on the main campus.
“York has integrated its commitment to sustainability into its research, teaching and decision making, including linking it to our understanding of our ecosystem with our Social Procurement Policy,” said Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration. “We have established a framework of values and principles to advance the long-term health and vitality of our communities and to recognize that our procurement processes can have positive and sustainable social impact.”
The title of Canada’s Greenest Employers recognizes national leaders in developing not only a culture of environmental awareness, but exceptional sustainability initiatives.
Each year, the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers choose the organizations that will be named Canada’s Greenest Employers based on the development of unique environmental initiatives and programs, their success rate in reducing the organization’s own environmental footprint and in engaging employees in these environmental efforts. They also look at how closely the institution’s public identity is linked to these sustainable initiatives, and their ability to attract new employees and clients as a result.
Additional York sustainability highlights
• York’s Social Procurement Policy provides unique opportunities to reinforce the University’s vision and policies, as well as its role as an anchor institution to create a responsible and sustainable supply chain process,
• It has built a culture to embrace social procurement at the University while leveraging its purchasing power to benefit local economies.
• The University offers more than 500 courses related to sustainability and the environment across several faculties.
• Its Eco-Campus in Costa Rica is next to the Las Nubes Forest Reserve, part of the largest rainforest ecosystem in Central America, and is dedicated to education and research on neotropical conservation, eco-health, community well-being and sustainable livelihoods for neighbouring communities.
• In addition to offering a mix of transportation options, York also hosts an annual Bike to York Day, maintains three on-campus bike repair stations, two car-share operations, online carpool-matching and preferred parking for car-poolers, and has two new subway stations connecting the campus to the city.
• York uses PV solar panels, rainwater recapture systems and maintains several green roofs on campus buildings, as well as offering electric vehicle charging stations.
• New buildings are constructed to meet LEED Gold certification and there are LED lighting retrofits, water-saving fixtures, a formal ZeroWaste program, which diverts 68 per cent of waste from the landfill, plus a FreeStuff residence exchange program for students and a battery recycling program,
• York University also holds an annual Earth Day campus clean-up event, a weekly farmers market, an Oasis clothing bank and its print services are Forest Stewardship Council certified for paper sourcing, double-sided printing and advocating the use of e-documents.
The University Information Technology (UIT) Department in the Division of Finance and Administration has released the “IT Annual Report to the Community 2019-2020.”
The report highlights several achievements from the past year and their impact on various areas of the University. The report also demonstrates the resilience, perseverance and commitment of the UIT team members who continue to provide unwavering support to the York community.
Donald Ipperciel
“Technology touches all our lives every day here at the University. Our aim in UIT is to serve our students, faculty and staff proactively, so that the tools you need to do your work function seamlessly and responsively when you need them,” said York University’s Chief Information Officer Donald Ipperciel. “From checking your email, to accessing course information, to connecting and collaborating with colleagues near and far.
“I would like to thank our community – our partners at York and all the UIT staff – for their continuous engagement and trust. Your commitment and support are what make IT successful at York,” added Ipperciel.
The following message was sent to University community members on Wednesday, April 22 by AVP Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Catherine Masciangelo:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear Colleagues,
These unprecedented times have only demonstrated the increased importance and need for self-care and personal well-being strategies to help you better manage your dramatically changed day-to-day life.
That is why we are pleased to introduce you to Wellness Wednesdays. Going forward, every Wednesday, you will receive what we hope you find is interesting, helpful and relevant health and wellness information, including expert links, videos, tips and resources to help you and yours stay healthy and strong during this difficult and stressful time.
As part of this first Wellness Wednesday we would like to introduce you to a few places where you can find useful information and resources to support you and your family’s well-being:
York University’s COVID-19 website provides a trusted factual source of information and external expert links on COVID-19, public health and travel information.
Health, Safety and Employee Well-Being (HSEWB) hosts an employee resources page (https://yulink-new.yorku.ca/group/yulink/covid-19) dedicated to resources to help promote your well-being. Some topics include ergonomics when working from home (including stretches), mental health and well-being in times of uncertainty, and links to free online training modules.
The next issue of Wellness Wednesday will focus on Ergonomics while Working at Home. If you have suggestions for topics of interest, know about helpful resources to share, or have questions about well-being resources, please feel free to direct them to hsewb@yorku.ca.
Remember, we are all in this together.
Stay well,
Mary Catherine Masciangelo AVP, Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer
Chers collègues,
La période sans précédent dans laquelle nous vivons actuellement démontre l’importance et la nécessité accrue de prendre soin de sa personne et d’adopter des stratégies de bien-être afin de mieux gérer notre vie quotidienne qui a radicalement changé.
C’est pourquoi nous avons le plaisir de vous présenter les Mercredis du mieux-être. Désormais, chaque mercredi, vous recevrez des informations sur la santé et le bien-être, que nous espérons être intéressantes, utiles et pertinentes; elles comprendront des liens d’experts, des vidéos, des conseils et des ressources pour vous aider, vous et vos proches, à rester forts et en bonne santé durant cette phase difficile et stressante.
Pour cette première édition des Mercredis du mieux-être, nous aimerions vous recommander deux sites où vous pourrez trouver des informations et des ressources utiles pour votre bien-être et celui des membres de votre famille.
Le site Web COVID-19 de l’Université York fournit des informations factuelles et fiables, des liens d’experts externes sur la COVID-19 et la santé publique ainsi que des informations sur les voyages.
La page Santé, sécurité et bien-être des employés (HSEWB) offre une section de ressources pour les employés (https://yulink-new.yorku.ca/group/yulink/covid-19) destinée à favoriser leur bien-être. Parmi les sujets abordés, mentionnons l’ergonomie lors du travail à domicile (y compris des exercices d’étirement), la santé mentale et le bien-être en période de crise et des liens vers des modules de formation en ligne gratuits.
Le prochain numéro des Mercredis du mieux-être portera sur l’ergonomie lors du travail à domicile. Si vous avez des sujets intéressants à suggérer, si vous connaissez des ressources utiles à partager ou si vous avez des questions sur les ressources en matière de bien-être, n’hésitez pas à les adresser à hsewb@yorku.ca.
N’oubliez pas que nous sommes tous dans la même situation.
Portez-vous bien,
Mary Catherine Masciangelo Vice-présidente adjointe des ressources humaines et dirigeante principale des ressources humaines
Flags will be lowered to half-mast to mark National Day of Mourning
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In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress designated April 28 as the National Day of Mourning in Canada. Each year, Canadians pause to remember and honour those individuals who have died, been injured, or suffered illness in the workplace.
York University will mark the National Day of Mourning by lowering the flags on its Keele and Glendon campuses to half-mast from sunrise to sunset on April 28.
April 28 was selected because it coincides with Ontario’s first Workers’ Compensation Act, which was approved by government in 1914. The National Day of Mourning in Canada was brought into force on Feb. 1, 1991, by an Act of Parliament. Canadian flags on Parliament Hill and at Queen’s Park will fly at half-mast on April 28.
Injuries and deaths in the workplace continue to be a matter of grave concern across Canada. “This year, during this unparalleled time, we remember those brave frontline workers in healthcare, food and other essential services who are doing all they can to keep us safe, healthy, fed and secure during this pandemic,” said Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president equity, people and culture at York University.
By lowering its flags to half-mast, York University affirms its commitment to the promotion of health and safety for all members of the University community and to the provision of a safe and healthy work and study environment.
To learn more about the day of mourning and to light a candle in memory of those who have given so much, visit National Day of Mourning, Health Safety & Employee Well-Being on yu link.
Virtual Town Hall answers community’s questions on University pandemic plans
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A Virtual Town Hall meeting held April 2 and led by York University President Rhonda L. Lenton gave students, staff and faculty the opportunity to raise questions and concerns on how the University will move forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Livestreamed to the community, the event aimed to create an open forum to address questions on academic, research and professional work, as well as general operations and plans. Community members were asked to submit questions in advance, or to email questions during the hour-long afternoon session.
A Virtual Town Hall meeting held April 2 with: (top, right to left) Vice-President Finance and Administration Carol McAulay, Vice-President Academic and Provost Lisa Philipps, Interim Vice-President Research and Innovation Rui Wang; and (bottom, right to left) York University President Rhonda L. Lenton, Vice-President Equity, People & Culture Sheila Cote-Meek and Vice-President Advancement Jeff O’Hagan
Joined by the senior leadership team – Vice-President Academic and Provost Lisa Philipps, Vice-President Finance and Administration Carol McAulay, Interim Vice-President Research and Innovation Rui Wang, Vice-President Advancement Jeff O’Hagan and Vice-President Equity, People & Culture Sheila Cote-Meek – Lenton began by commending the York community for adapting to a rapidly evolving and unprecedented situation with creativity and commitment.
“York University, over the past few weeks, has shown incredible leadership,” Lenton said. “I want to say thank you to the entire community … I’ve been incredibly moved by what I’ve seen in terms of generosity of spirit and creativity in coming together to respond to this pandemic.”
Citing the rapid switch to remote learning, virtual labs, and innovative solutions to continuing research and maintaining accessibility, Lenton said these efforts highlight that “York is an anchor institution in our communities.”
Before fielding questions, Lenton was candid in saying the University does not have all the answers, and attention by senior leadership has been turned to scenario planning for the fall to anticipate what the needs and risks could be depending on whether a return to face-to-face instruction will be possible.
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton
The first question posed asked how long this situation might last and what the plans are for reintegration when pandemic restrictions are lifted. Lenton said the University is following the government’s lead in terms of a reduction in strategies to flatten the curve. Philipps added that the decision for fall can’t be made yet, and that would possibly come mid-summer. The University has developed emergency financial bursaries and is in the process of establishing a more robust COVID-19 relief fund to support the University community.
Concerns over clinical hours and in-person lab and research requirements were raised, and senior leadership assured that alternate solutions are being offered where possible with virtual labs and simulations. However, there may still be disruption to some students.
“This is very important to achieving learning outcomes and many strategies are being pursued … to provide students with at least some of that experience,” said Philipps. She added that some course material may be reorganized to allow students to do some of the hands-on, in-person requirements at a later date when pandemic restrictions are lifted.
It was also noted that thesis deadlines for grad students have been extended by 30 days, without additional fees, and the University is examining how it can ensure students continue to progress in their programs.
Responding to questions on spring convocation, which traditionally takes place in June, Lenton assured the community of graduating students that there will be options to participate in a virtual ceremony in June or to attend the fall convocation in October.
“We have in effect come up with the best-of-both-worlds solution,” she said. “We will be inviting those graduating in June to the October ceremonies, and we are going to expand that convocation. We also recognize that some students won’t be able to return (in the fall) and … we are also working on a virtual convocation in June and we are looking at ways to make that meaningful.”
Community members also asked for assurances on providing for students requiring accommodations, as well as whether there would be an increase in resources with respect to counselling and support services for students, staff and faculty.
“As a community, we all share responsibility to support each other and in particular support our students,” said Lenton, adding that counselling and support services remain open and are fully accessible online.
Students requiring accommodations, and those needing new accommodations to adapt to remote learning, should first contact their course instructor, then program director, associate dean’s office and, if necessary, the registrar’s office. Response times may be longer than usual, due to the current circumstances.
Questions on job security were also front of mind for community members, who asked about contract and compensation stability, as well as potential layoffs. Lenton took a firm stand that the health and well-being of employees are priorities, and the University is investigating all options to mitigate risks with respect to job security.
“It’s challenging without knowing what the next several months will look like,” she said, adding the University is looking at creative solutions and has plan to discuss those with the unions. One example, she said, would be to explore personal development opportunities and short-term redeployment of staff to areas of high need. “This is not only a way to solve potential gaps but it could be an opportunity for staff to learn new skills,” she said.
As well, contracts for those paid hourly were recently extended, and close attention will be given to any opportunities provided by the government to bridge compensation gaps that might arise.
Employee engagement was also addressed, and the community was assured the University plans to continue expanding additional resources to help students, staff and facility stay connected to their work and their colleagues. Some examples include a new ‘Going Remote’ service that will be offered by the Teaching Commons @ York, and the continued efforts by the Libraries to offer digital and virtual services.
The following message was sent to University community members on Wednesday, April 22 by AVP Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Catherine Masciangelo:
